shawn306 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 If it isn't Shockey, it's Barber. If it isn't Barber it is today's open mouth insert foot winner Michael Strahan. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/475909p-400278c.html Strahan gets one to tackle Confronts reporter over his own words BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Michael Strahan has been sidelined with a sprained foot but returns to action yesterday when he berates a female reporter for daring to ask questions. The doors to the Giants' locker room were still in place yesterday. Behind them, though, everything appeared to be coming unhinged. In one bizarre hour - strange even by the standards the Giants have set over the past week - Tom Coughlin's crew unraveled once again. It started when Plaxico Burress delivered a subtle rip of teammate Michael Strahan, and ended with Strahan delivering a not-so-subtle rant at the media in general while trying to bully a female reporter from ESPN. Asked about his comments regarding Burress, Strahan demanded that ESPN's Kelly Naqi step to the front of a media pack and "look me in the eye." And the cause of all the turmoil was Strahan's own words during his regular spot on WFAN on Monday, when he appeared to chastise Burress for quitting on a play during Sunday's Music City Meltdown. When Burress heard that Strahan had said, "You can't give up and you can't quit, because you're not quitting on yourself, you're quitting on us, you're quitting on everybody," it was enough to trigger the latest round of discontent from the Bickering Blue. "Wow, that's tough for a teammate to come out and say that about you," Burress said after he was read Strahan's comments, word for word, by Naqi. "But if that's the way he feels, that's the way he feels. I'll talk to him about that personally. I'm not going to get into a pushing or shoving match with you guys. I'll just talk to him personally because that's the type of person I am. I wouldn't go on TV or radio and criticize my teammates. "If that's the way he feels, hey, that's sad." That response was quickly relayed to Strahan by a member of the Giants' PR staff, and a few minutes later, the defensive end - who usually speaks to the media only on Thursdays - burst into the locker room and began his tirade. First, he singled out Naqi and berated her for not asking questions "in the appropriate manner" and, beckoning her with his index finger, loudly ordered her to come forward and "look me in the eye." "I know you're going to ask it in a way that there's more division and more of a negative way than what it was, so come here, I want to see your face," Strahan said. "Are you a responsible journalist? Look me in the eye and ask me this question, please, the way that you want to ask it. Come on. Look a man in the eye before you try to kill him or make up something." Eventually, Strahan was asked if he had spoken to Burress. Strahan said he had, even though Burress insisted he had not. Strahan added, "Do you think one play by Plaxico lost us the game? No." Then he redirected his rage toward the media at large. "If you want to come here with the negative, you're coming to the wrong guy, because I'm not a negative guy," said Strahan, who is recovering from a sprained foot. "I don't kill my teammates. I'm a man and I talk to my teammates. So if you're going to talk to me, don't stand in the back behind 10 other people. You come here and look me in the eye. And if you're going to ask Plaxico about something, you ask him in the appropriate way, not the negative way so it seems like I'm attacking my teammates, because I don't do that. "(The WFAN comments are) being portrayed that way because that's the way you guys portray them. We've lost three games in a row. You're not going to do anything positive. That's not how you guys operate. You don't sell papers by being positive. OK? You just don't - especially when a team has lost three games in a row." Strahan's rage, of course, came seven days after Tiki Barber criticized the Giants' play-calling, six days after it was revealed that Barber was reprimanded by Coughlin, five days after Coughlin fired back at Barber, and three days after the Giants (6-5) blew a 21-point, fourth-quarter lead in Tennessee. However, despite the turmoil, yesterday actually began with a positively chipper Coughlin press conference. The coach seemed eager and thrilled to announce that defensive end Osi Umenyiora, linebacker Brandon Short and cornerback Sam Madison all might return for Sunday's showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. When asked about Strahan's WFAN rant, Coughlin did say he was "aware that a statement had been made," but added "What I'm trying to do right now, quite frankly, is pull everybody together and encourage, if you will." Little did Coughlin know how difficult that would be, and what was simmering behind his locker-room doors. Originally published on November 29, 2006 It just gets better every day over there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faba Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Yeah Strahan went ballastic on a reporter- he was the one that made the original comments about Burress(which happen to have been correct) and then tries to blame the reporters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 It keeps coming back to a PR department in the front office that thinks getting these guys all this press is a good idea for the franchise and the players. There's never been any team in NY that has more paid radio appearances, paid TV appearances, ghostwritten columns and commercials than this Giants team. The FO encourages it. And when fecal matter starts hitting cooling device you cannot now tell theses guys to STFU, because the message from PR director Pat Hanlon has always been to stay out there and draw attention to yourself.You cannot now say that the PR is a bad thing if you've had the organization itself pushing for more PR all along. It's embarrassing. Knock Belechick for a lot, but Mangini has followed that smart blueprint-keep your mouth shut and everything in house is the way to go. Can you imagine if the Jets were this out front with the 3-headed running back situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Can you imagine if the Jets were this out front with the 3-headed running back situation? A person inside the organization said that it is now a 2-headed running back rotation with Leon & Cedric and that Barlow is out (Star Ledger this morning)... things are getting out, but, nothing like the Giants' franchise. Pathetic. They are all little babies in that locker room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Not enough bad thingas can happpen to the Giants to make me happy. This is pretty good, though. Shut up, Strahan. I'll accomplish two things - you'll look less like an idiot and the rest of us will not have to see that ugly gap in your teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Of Bavaria Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Not enough bad thingas can happpen to the Giants to make me happy. This is pretty good, though. Shut up, Strahan. I'll accomplish two things - you'll look less like an idiot and the rest of us will not have to see that ugly gap in your teeth. Apparently the Giants Dental Coverage plan got incinerated at 5000 Kelvin with Wellington Mora's Corpse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
serphnx Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Ordinarily I side with players or individuals against the sports media, and the media in general, but in this case Strahan doesn't evoke much sympathy. I think the Mangini and BB strategy of simply not talking to the media whenever possible is the best. Hard for them to bully you in the press when you won't talk to them, and even better if you just don't read what they write. I barely read anything from the sports media these days, and I'm sure if I was a Jets player I'd prefer getting news off sites like JN. Of course, I'd probably also want to beat up tx and the other patsie trolls if that were the case, so maybe I'd avoid JN too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raffyD Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Ordinarily I side with players or individuals against the sports media, and the media in general, but in this case Strahan doesn't evoke much sympathy. I think the Mangini and BB strategy of simply not talking to the media whenever possible is the best. Hard for them to bully you in the press when you won't talk to them, and even better if you just don't read what they write. I barely read anything from the sports media these days, and I'm sure if I was a Jets player I'd prefer getting news off sites like JN. Of course, I'd probably also want to beat up tx and the other patsie trolls if that were the case, so maybe I'd avoid JN too. I get 90% of new sports info from this site, no need to go to the espn.com's (although I still visit page 2 occassionally) as they are usually late getting the story out compared to the blood hounds on this site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewilly Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I get all my sports news from www. largenaturalhooters.com to date I don't think i've gleaned any sports news yet per say, but the ongoing search is fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
124 Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 Hey Bob, I was wondering... Do you hate the Giants? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawn306 Posted November 30, 2006 Author Share Posted November 30, 2006 There is nothing better than watching the Giants implode right before my very eyes. For all the chatter they have done the past 10 years you would think they were 5 time Super Bowl Champions. Where is all the "discipline" Coughlin was supposed to bring in when he replaced Fassel ? This guy goes and rips into a rookie on the sideline for a bonehead play but give Burruss a pass when he quits on a play not once but TWICE in two weeks !?! Tiki is busy trying to take Katie Couric's job on the CBS Evening News. Shockey acts like a three year old on the field. Manning has shown ZERO leadership qualities. I mean c'mon. They blew a lead in a playoff game against Minnesota with Phillipi Sparks and a teammate basically coming to blows on the sideling during the game. They blow a huge lead against SF in the 02 playoffs. They get EMBARASSED at home in the playoffs against Carolina last year. They blow another huge lead against a poor Titans team. And then Shockey goes out and says if the Giants play their game the Cowboys don't stand a chance against them on Sunday. Brillant. Abosolutey brillant. I mean I can't even make this stuff up. Tiki is ripping the coaching staff. Strachan is going after reporters. Shockey is telling the world that a team on three game losing streak is going to beat the Cowboys. The Giants in a nutshell are a bully team. When things are going well (Like their Super Bowl run in 2000) they can't do anything wrong. Punch them in mouth one time and they start throwing each other under the bus in ways the even Herm couldn't even fathom. I think this might be the first time I will be rooting for the Cowboys this weekend. There are not enough bad things that can happen this bunch of GUTLESS P.O.S.'s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shutout Posted November 30, 2006 Share Posted November 30, 2006 I get all my sports news from www. largenaturalhooters.com to date I don't think i've gleaned any sports news yet per say, but the ongoing search is fun POTW NOM. That was a good one JW,even if you weren't joking at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.